December 1 @ 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
As events in the Middle East in 2026 have underscored, a central challenge of contemporary international politics is how to manage strategic simultaneity in an increasingly contested and resource-constrained environment. The conflict between the United States (US) and Iran illustrates how crises in one region can generate ripple effects across others, shaping the global balance of power. Events in the Middle East thus serve as a reminder to Europe, the US and their Indo-Pacific partners that regional instability can rapidly draw political and diplomatic attention, technological and industrial resources and capacities and military capabilities away from other theatres.
Events in the Middle East show that there is a dilemma of navigating trade-offs and opportunities across interconnected regions. Engagement in one theatre inevitably affects deterrence and strategic credibility in another, especially when it stretches resources. This dilemma can give rise to economic and military vulnerabilities, as well as affect the security of supply and trade. In a system increasingly structured by US-China competition, these choices are embedded in a wider environment where regional developments carry global implications.
In this context, Europe faces a dual task of consolidating its role as a security provider in its neighbourhood while sustaining a meaningful and targeted engagement in the Indo-Pacific. The region remains central to global trade, technology and geopolitical competition, making continued cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners essential.
The 5th edition of the Brussels Indo-Pacific Dialogue will provide a platform to explore these dynamics across geopolitical, economic and technological dimensions and to reflect on how Europe and its partners can navigate strategic simultaneity while maximising collective resilience and strategic effect across regions. The Brussels Indo-Pacific Dialogue brings together high-level experts and policymakers from Asia, Europe and America, and has become a landmark event for Indo-Pacific security debates in Brussels, Europe and beyond.